


all a matter of perception

by HazardousJack



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Accidental Outing, Hockey, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, M/M, but theres long descriptions of hockey, gotta watch out for those things, im not sure why but i just love to describe hockey, its just one word but i gotta give ya that yknow, make sure nobody gets too sad, maybe its cause i played, this was for an angst fest but i just gotta make it kinda happy yknow, ugh I suck, who knows - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-16
Updated: 2017-08-16
Packaged: 2018-12-12 07:49:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11732715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HazardousJack/pseuds/HazardousJack
Summary: Jack Zimmermann is many things. Perceptive is not one of them. When Tater gets outed without his consent, Jack has to work on being perceptive because some things just won't be said out loud.





	all a matter of perception

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [blithelybonny](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blithelybonny/pseuds/blithelybonny) in the [OMGCP_Heartbreak_Fest_2017](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/OMGCP_Heartbreak_Fest_2017) collection. 



Jack wasn’t a very perceptive person, that much he, and seemingly the entire world, knew. He gathered the basic information and just kinda hoped and prayed he wouldn’t screw up. But screw up he did. He might’ve lost his first boyfriend, whom he loves very very much, but at this point it was too late. Jack has current problems.

 

Problem number one: The team is off.

 

The Falconers are affectionate, to say the least. Well, usually they are. Today they’re not. Guy, Thirdy, and Marty are huddled in the nook, looking grim, and probably not just because of the sudden lack of pies. Snowy and Tater looked about two steps from a fistfight. That, Jack thought, is the problem. Snowy and Tater on a level of drift compatible it’s a little scary.

 

Problem number two (but really just an extension of problem number one): Tater is quiet.

 

The loudest member of the team, hushedly talking to Snowy. Something really bad must’ve happened for Tater to be quiet. Jack wasn’t sure, but whenever someone on the Samwell team got quiet, unless they were a quiet kind of person, like Jack was, they were scared or nervous. Now, Jack had never seen Tater scared. He was a big, strong, defenseman. He drops his gloves scarily quick when someone gets too close to Snowy or checks Poots too hard. Tater had his hand on Snowy’s wrist, he looked like he was pulling him back. From what, Jack didn’t know, but this goes back to the “tater is quiet” thing.

 

Problem number three (and quite possibly the worst one): Tater is crying.

 

Not only was Tater being unusually quiet in the face of a shouting Snowy, but there were tear tracks running down Tater’s face. That shall not stand, Jack thought. Jack laughed internally. Shitty said that to him whenever Jack said he was feeling sad. But back to the topic at hand, this is really bad. In Jack’s entire career with the Falconers, albeit around a season and a half, the worst he had ever seen Tater was during Jack’s first year, when Tater got hurt and couldn’t play, and then they were eliminated during the conference finals. Tater hadn’t cried then, just hugged each member of the team for a long time, and then went home. Like the rest of them.

 

Problem number four, but this one was easily fixed: Jack stood there in the doorway for a solid two minutes, staring off into space, contemplating the mood of the room.

 

“Euh… did something happen…?” Jack asked, warily. Nothing feels worse than being the only person out of the loop.

“You don’t read hockey or celebrity news?” Marty said. Jack shook his head no. He hated reading about himself. People said such mean things. Shitty always told him the news, without all the mean things.

“Tater got outed,” Snowy said. “Without his consent. By some jerk of an ex. Who conveniently became a sports reporter.” Snowy looked about ready to murder somebody. Probably would be best to keep him away from innocent strangers, or god forbid let him near a reporter. Snowy probably noticed the confused look in Jack’s eyes, as he continued to clarified, less angry and more sad. “Outed as gay. By an ex-boyfriend.”

“Oh.” Jack still wasn’t the most perceptive person, but he could definitely tell that this was bad. Very bad. It was so hard to hide his one relationship he had, not even including the Parse incident, but Jack doesn’t consider that a relationship beyond friends. Tater being who he was, naturally he would date. He was smart and perceptive so would really have much less of a problem than Jack, but the hiding eventually led to Jack’s previous boyfriend to leave him, and Jack would give everything he had to keep him from telling reporters, or really anybody, about what they were.

“Yeah. Right now, I’d like to be talking to management about what’s going to happen, but Alexei seems to be happy to do nothing,” Snowy said. There was bite to his words.

“No! Just not be aggressive! Just wait out. Do what manager George says!” Tater argued.

“If you don’t do anything nothing will happen.” Snowy pushed, with a matter-of-fact tone.

“Don’t say like that. Like you’re better than me. You’re not.”

“I didn’t say I was.”

“Snowy…”

“All I’m saying is-”

“You’ve said enough, both of you,” Marty interjected. “You two fighting won’t fix anything. Tater’s right, anyways. It’s best to just wait for Georgia.” Snowy cursed and averted his eyes.

“Snowy…” Tater muttered. It was clear that Tater was just as worried about Snowy as Snowy was about him.

“Sorry… I let it get the best of me… I shouldn’t’ve shouted, it’s harder on you than anyone else…” Snowy was teary-eyed. This wasn’t unusual, Snowy was an emotional kind of guy. Tater didn’t say anything. The silence was sickening. It felt like when you were sitting in a hospital looking on as your mama or papa is sick and won’t get better. You can’t say anything to break the precious few moments you have left. If it’s quiet maybe they’ll last longer. Before somebody (Snowy, probably, Jack figured.) could get angry, Georgia came in.

“I came as soon as I heard. Alexei, are you doing alright?” George asked. The answer was so obvious, he clearly was not doing alright. Even Jack could tell.

“Yes. I’m okay,” Tater said, with a forced smile. Snowy huffed.

“Have you got something to say?” Georgia inquired.

“Oh, no, course not,” Snowy said. It was the most condescending Jack had ever heard anyone be. As another silence crept in, Snowy decided to break it. “So, George, what are we gonna do?”

 

Because Jack’s brain never truly stops, he wishes it would but it wouldn’t, he wishes he could fix it but he can’t, he was already thinking of something he could do. Maybe. Quite possibly the worst idea he ever had. And Jack has had some bad ideas. “George, I was wondering, I could maybe come out too, euh, in solidarity, I guess?” George turned to Jack with a start.

“Are you sure?” Jack had made it clear about a week ago that he still had absolutely no interest in coming out. Jack just stood there after receiving the question. More awkwardly than usual! Who knew. Jack was definitely not sure. Jack was pretty sure he didn’t want to at all, but there are some things you just need to do.

“...Maybe?”

“Jack, you can’t do this if you don’t want to, and the rumors will be all about you and Alexei. I don’t know if you’d be okay with that, and this is one of those things you can’t take back,” Georgia said worriedly. Georgia’s phone buzzed. And again. Uh oh. Something must’ve happened. Jack hated it when things happened. He hated when people put it like that. When he woke up the day after the draft and his father was there, telling him some things happened. If you’re gonna break someone’s heart, be specific. Jack’s phone kept on buzzing when Parse won the cup, and Parse came to a Kegtster and said that some things had happened. Jack’s boyfriend called him so much and his phone was always buzzing and Jack loved it. But then some things happened and he hasn’t called today.

“What is it?” Jack asked, hoping to any deity around that he wasn’t being too intrusive. “It’s Kent Parson,” Georgia said, surprised. Jack wasn’t Parse loved to back people up. In the most extra, attention-grabbing way he could.

“He posted on his Twitter.”

“What’s he saying this time? I swear, if he’s being an ass to Alexei,” Thirdy muttered.

“No, he’s not,” Georgia said. “He says: ‘Stop paying attention to Mashkov and his ex. Pay attention to me. I have a boyfriend and a cat. I’ll tell you about both of them look at me’”

“Is that all?” Jack asked. He worried that Parse was going to say something stupid, get himself in trouble, and try and laugh it off. “No, there’s a long thread about how great his boyfriend is. Wow. Really long,” Georgia said. “I’d say this would make it better, but considering the rumors about you and him, it really doesn’t.” Jack had a lot to think about. Better not take it on the ice. It was gameday, after all.

 

Before the game, Snowy caught up to Jack. He was tense, to say the very least. "Jack, I just- don't out yourself if you don't want to. Don't feel pressured to do anything. I don't know if he's told you, but I'm his boyfriend and if anybody should do anything it should be me. And I know you and Bitty were arguing but-"

"Snowy, it's fine. Really. Good luck out there."

 

 

The first period went smoothly. There were a couple of chances that could’ve gone better, and a couple times the defense could’ve been better, and a couple pucks that Snowy’s gonna beat himself up over, and a trashy major penalty call against Jack for goalie interference, but it was just 1-2. Everybody was kind of uneasy though. Jack could’ve just assumed it jitters from it being the beginning of the season, but Jack was being perceptive today. They weren’t sure if to treat him differently.

The second period was when things got rough. Checks were harder on both sides, starting when Marty got tripped and Thirdy retaliated and that person retaliated against Guy and Marty dropped his gloves and Jack dropped his too and before knew it it was 4 on 2. Jack hoped that Poots and Tater could somehow get a shorthanded goal but they didn’t. Instead, in the five minute major penalty, the other guys scored twice. With the ringing of the buzzer everybody was tense. 4-1. Coach gave a long lecture about fighting, essentially, just don’t do it.

It was just a few minutes before the third that Tater approached Jack. “I’m know you’re tense… worry… but. Do not fight for me. Will get you kicked out of the game.” That’s right. Three major penalties equals ejection, a fine, and maybe suspension. Jack knew he shouldn’t, but if anybody dared to lay a finger on Tater, hell, he wouldn’t even drop his gloves and stick, just whack the guy ‘till he’s unconscious and bleeding on the ice.

The third period started. The Falconers had mostly given up, putting their all into their defense rather than offense, just trying to keep a three goal deficit, no more. Everything fell apart in the second but that doesn’t mean it can’t get worse in the third. That’s just how the game is. One hard check left Tater on the ice. The bastard then had the gall to spit and call him a fag. The sheer impertinence of that scumbag! The audacity! Jack was going to beat his ass- but Snowy got their first. Snowy’s gloves were on the ice back in the crease, his stick on the blue line, an afterthought. Only Snowy would be so careful to follow the rules of fisticuffs when, oh, Snowy was sitting on the other guy. Nice. Coach was mad, but Jack couldn’t be happier. It was all he could do to not join in, but Snowy needed this. There was shouting, and lots of it. Tater was yelling for Snowy to stop, Marty and Thirdy were rooting for Snowy to keep going, Poots found one of his high school buddies and they were casually chatting about homophobia in sports. At some point, it got a bit too rough, there was blood on the ice, they’d have to re-zamboni it. Or they could just skate over it, but that’d be kinda gross.

Tater graciously took the penalty and sat in the box, every so often glaring down the defensive zone. Jack couldn’t tell at who, because they were all in the defensive zone. In the end, they lost. 5-1. Yet another power-play goal. Jack felt like he in particular were to be getting a stern talking to about self control, and being considerate to your teammates, the same stuff Jack’s been hearing since grade school. Jack never starts out much of a fighter, but as soon as his team is family, his gloves are seldom on. It was during the post-game interviews that Jack decided.

 

“So, what do you think about Mashkov being outed without his consent?”

“Well, I think it’s horrible. If it happened to me instead of him, I don’t know what I’d do. He handled it so well.”

“You say instead…”

“Yes. I am in the same position as he was yesterday evening.”

“What exactly are you trying to say?”

“Tater Tot’s not alone. I’m gay too, well, bisexual, my friend says.”

“Is this your… boyfriend?” “No, just a friend. My boyfriend is a different person.”

“We noticed during the fight in the third, when you saw your goalie fighting, you looked very happy. Why is that?”

“That guy deserved it. Dontcha think?”

 

“Hey honey. I saw your post-game interviews… I hope I didn’t pressure you into anything… Because I know what I said last night and I just don’t want you to stress yourself out...”

“Bits, no. I did it because I love you. You didn’t call this morning and I was worried, but I mean, it is the start of the school year so you’re probably really busy, I should-”

“Jack, it’s fine. I’m sorry for worrying you. So how about Tater and Snowy?”

Jack wasn’t a perceptive person, this he, and the entire world, knew. He knew that some things you should be proud of, like love, but really everything about you ties in to love so you should just be proud of who you are. So really, Jack knew a lot, and he was perceptive. So what about Tater and Snowy? Jack, for the life of him, could not figure out what that meant.

**Author's Note:**

> aaaaaaaahhhh im sorry if this is bad its two in the morning i ran out of time bc my mama broke her neck a while ago and is getting a surgery today im so sorry. im also out of practice in writing angst haha. i hope you enjoy it anyways, its not exactly what you asked for but it's close enough? i guess? im sorry  
> much love,  
> -mystery author
> 
>  
> 
> Come reblog this work and view others from this fest [HERE](https://omgcpheartbreakfest.tumblr.com/) on the omgcpheartbreakfest tumblr page!


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